Science Looking Into A Male Birth Control Pill

After studying male infertility, scientists are closer to creating more contraceptives for men.

We've always thought it a bit unfair what us ladies are expected to do in the name of contraception. Yes, men are urged to wrap it up, and yes, condoms might suck, but at least you fellas (unless a vasectomy is involved) don't screw with your insides. If we swallow a pill that doesn't jive with our internal makeup, we suffer weight-gain, mood swings and an overall, general feeling of weirdness. Not fun.

Thankfully, if science has it's way, men may soon have their own version of a birth control pill. Hooray! Researchers at the University of Iowa have identified a gene—CATSPER 1—that is needed in order for fertilization to occur.

CATSPER 1 affects the sperm's ability to maneuver it's way into the egg. When the gene is absent, sperm just sort of bump into one another but never seal the deal.

Scientists figured this out after studying groups of men in Iran who were infertile.

Researchers are now hard at work trying to dream up a way to mass produce an FDA-approved contraception that binds to the CATSPER 1 gene, thus making babies impossible.

Right now, the team is apprehensive that the contraceptive may not be "effective, safe and reversible." There's been talk of administering it through immunocontraception, which has been used for years on wild animals to control population. Don't be surprised, dear reader, if one day men can get a single shot to the arm and shoot blanks for an entire year.

Sounds excellent. We think this should be mandatory. However, Maury Povich may have to find a new job if this is a success.